Witness IDs man charged in 2005 South Bend arsons

Testifies that defendant said he set fires Â?for funÂ?

Testifies that defendant said he set fires Â?for funÂ?

SOUTH BEND Â? Jeremy Craft told an acquaintance he set arson fires on the near south side last year Â?because it was fun,Â? a witness testified in court Monday.

The same witness in CraftÂ?s trial in U.S. District Court also testified that Craft made derogatory remarks about minorities when the man pressed him as to why he was burning houses.

Craft, 30, is charged with eight counts of arson and two counts of intimidation. He is accused of setting eight fires between January 2005 and 2006 in south-side properties, including two fires to intimidate minority residents. The fires were in the area of Indiana Avenue, Caroll Street, Columbia Street and Broadway.

John King testified he became friends with Craft in late 2004, when both were staying at the Center for the Homeless.

Some months later, King testified, he was drinking with Craft when Craft volunteered that every Friday when he got paid he liked Â?to buy beer and set houses on fire.Â?

Â?I didnÂ?t want to hear it. I thought he was crazy,Â? said King, who grew up in the area where Craft said he set the fires.

A few months later in August or September, King said, he was outside when he saw a nearby house in flames and saw Craft pull up in his truck.